


Hand-Picked Redux

by TheAuthor44



Category: Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-24
Updated: 2020-05-24
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:13:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,545
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24350368
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheAuthor44/pseuds/TheAuthor44
Summary: What if Mo convinced Zoey to join Max for dinner at Hand-Picked? What if she wasn't so emotionally avoidant? What if Autumn hadn't been working at the Golden Gate Grind that day?
Relationships: Zoey Clarke & Max Richman, Zoey Clarke/Max Richman
Comments: 6
Kudos: 78





	Hand-Picked Redux

**Author's Note:**

> Dedicated to my discord fam as always <3

“It happened again. I heard Max sing another love song to me this morning, and this time, it seemed way less ambiguous than last time.” Zoey said as she and Mo walked into The Golden Gate Grind.

“Mm, what song was it?”

“’Sucker’.”

“Ooh, that song’s hot. How did Max look doing it?” Mo said, making Zoey blush as she relived the experience.

“It doesn’t matter. My best friend is _super_ into me, Mo, and now he wants me to go to Hand-Picked for dinner with him.”

“He won the lottery? Huh. So go. He doesn’t know you’re aware of how he feels.”

“But I know, and I can’t unknow it. And I don’t want to talk about his feelings with him, and I don’t want to live in the awkwardness. With everything that’s going on in my life, I just want to keep thing exactly how they are between us.” Zoey said. She had enough difficult emotions to deal with about her dad’s illness alone.

“Okay I’m going to say something to you that you probably get all the time – you’re thinking too much. Has Max said anything about his feelings to you … without background music?” Mo questioned.

“Well, no but…”

“If you start acting differently towards him, it’s just going to take you down that uncomfortable road faster. He’s obviously had these feelings for a while. If he hasn’t done anything about them yet, then he’s probably not going to unless he felt like you reciprocated.”

“Which I … you know … I don’t…” Zoey replied.

“Uh-huh.” Mo said, raising a brow at the small redhead. “If you ask me, going to dinner with him is the best way to make sure his feelings stay where they are.”

“You may have a point. Max isn’t like me; he’ll share his feelings about anything on a whim. If he wanted to act on them … he would have already. I wouldn’t even know about them if I didn’t get this power.”

“I like Zoey world, it’s so much better than reality. A lot more denial than you usually see in rational people.” Mo replied sarcastically, but Zoey ignored him.

“I’ll go to dinner with him and act like everything is just like it was. It’s only a problem if I make it one, right? I mean he can’t keep singing to me every time we see each other … can he?”

“Zoey?”

“Yeah?”

“Stop thinking you’re train of thought is getting me dizzy.”

“Sorry. You’re right. If I want things to stay the same, then I have to treat them like they still are.”

Zoey felt better than she had all day. She could have her best friend and eat at Hand-Picked too, without having to worry about facing Max’s feelings – or her own. Her spiral of denial was interrupted by a soft tone playing over the noise of the coffee shop. Her head immediately turned around when she heard the barista start to sing.

_Clock strikes upon the hour_

_And the sun begins to fade_

“Mo?”

“Yes angel?”

“It’s happening.”

_Still enough time to figure out_

_How to chase my blues away_

“It is! I don’t hear anything. Just a bunch of white people drinking over caffeinated beverages that are way more difficult to make than coffee ever should be.”

“No … it’s definitely happening.”

_I've done alright up to now_

_It's the light of day that shows me how_

_And when the night falls, loneliness calls_

“What song is it? Maybe I can sing along in my head.”

“I think its Whitey Dallas … or something like that?”

“If you mean Whitney Houston I’m already wildly offended and embarrassed to know you.”

_Oh, I wanna dance with somebody_

_I wanna feel the heat with somebody_

_Yeah, I wanna dance with somebody_

_With somebody who loves me_

“Something about … dancing?”

“You know what I find even more unbelievable than your superpower; your unwillingness to listen to anything other than podcasts, or even simply turn on a radio. Is everyone singing?”

“It was just the barista … but it seems to have spread.”

_Oh, I wanna dance with somebody_

_I wanna feel the heat with somebody_

_Yeah, I wanna dance with somebody_

_With somebody who loves me_

“That song gives me all kind of emotions. Leave it to Whitney to perfectly describe how it feels to long for someone who understands you, while also simultaneously makes you feel tingly all over.”

Thinking about tingles brought Zoey’s mind back to Max’s heart song earlier in the day. She had been so intent on worrying over it, that she didn’t let it fully sink in how flattering it was. Or how it made her heart flutter just a little bit from how he looked at her as he sang.

_I need a man who'll take a chance_

_On a love that burns hot enough to last_

_So when the night falls_

_My lonely heart calls_

The softness of the barista’s voice touched Zoey’s heart. She knew that loneliness oh too well. But the more she thought about it – she had always had Max. He was there whenever she needed him, and that’s why maintaining their friendship above all else was so important to her. Still … Zoey figured it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world if she let her mind wonder from time to time – especially when he was singing to her.

_Oh, I wanna dance with somebody_

_I wanna feel the heat with somebody_

_Yeah, I wanna dance with somebody_

_With somebody who loves me_

_Oh, I wanna dance with somebody_

_I wanna feel the heat with somebody_

_Yeah, I wanna dance with somebody_

_With somebody who loves me_

“Hello – earth to Zoey? Is it over? Did I miss it?”

“Uh, yeah. It just finished.” Zoey said as they moved up in the line.

“This gift is completely wasted on you.”

* * *

When Zoey got back in the office, she looked around for Max. She found him sitting in one of the round swivel chairs, typing away on his laptop.

“Hey, so I think I found a way to…”

“Actually, before we get into that. I wanted to apologize for being weirder than usual this morning. I’d love to go to Hand-Picked on Thursday.”

“Great. The reservation is for 8pm. You wanna just meet there?” Max said looking up at her.

“Sounds great.” Zoey replied. Things were already going better than expected; no one going on a date meets at the restaurant. At least not if they want there to be a second one.

* * *

Thursday rolled around, and Zoey felt like things could finally get back to normal between her and Max. He hadn’t sung another heart-song to her since ‘Sucker’, and that gave Zoey hope for her plan. Of course, that didn’t stop her imagination from getting the better of her. For instance, as she picked out her outfit for that evening, she could just go with a nice top and slacks. Or, if hypothetically, this was a date … she might opt for a dress that showed off a little more leg. The more she thought about it, the temperature was a little warmer than usual outside. Zoey opted for the dress anyway. Not because she _wanted_ to treat dinner with Max like a date … because that would be crazy.

Zoey arrived outside Handpicked at 7:57, and immediately saw Max through the window. He gave her a quick wave before coming outside to greet her.

“Hey, you look great. You get all dolled up for little old me?” Max said, looking quite dashing himself. Not that Zoey thought that any way other than friendly. He was wearing a blazer on top of a different button-down shirt than the one he wore to work that day.

“Hey this isn’t just any restaurant. This is Hand-Picked.”

“Well then let’s get this show on the road. And maybe if we ask nicely, we can get to meet the cow.” Max joked as he jogged ahead and held the door open for Zoey, which was a totally normal Max thing to do. No date behavior here… which Zoey kept silently reminding herself.

Dinner itself went pretty smoothly. Six courses in and Zoey had forgotten to remind herself that this wasn’t a date. Max had always made her laugh, and she always loved when he would tell a story using his whole body. If this had been a date, which it totally wasn’t, she was already having a better time than she did on any dates she’d been on in the last few years. Minus of course being attracted to the man sitting across from her and feeling butterflies every time he would smile when his eyes met hers … because that totally wasn’t happening.

“So how do you like this so far?” Max asked, stirring Zoey from her thoughts.

“Huh?”

“How do you like the food here? I still can’t make heads or tails of whatever that was in the third course, but overall, I’m not … _not_ impressed.” Max said, causing Zoey to smile.

“Everything is delicious. Thanks again for inviting me.”

“Of course, there’s no one else I’d rather enjoy this with. Besides, you know you’re always my go-to when I find a new restaurant. Actually, you’re my go-to for everything.” Max said taking another bite of his food. Zoey knew he meant that as just friends, but her mind still wandered to what else that could mean… if she wanted it to.

Zoey’s stomach dropped however when she heard notes of a song start to play. A woman walked by their table, looking sourly at her own date for the evening, and she started to sing.

_When a man loves a woman_

_Can't keep his mind on nothin' else_

_He'd trade the world_

_For a good thing he's found_

Zoey’s eyes widened when she realized the woman singing was gesturing to their table, before the song ending as quickly as it began.

“Everything okay? Did they leave fertilizer in your food or something?” Max joked.

“Something in there … was spicy. And I was not expecting that.” Zoey said, obviously referring to a random stranger singing a heart-song at her and Max.

“Really? I didn’t taste anything.” Max said examining what was on his fork. Zoey was never more grateful for male pattern cluelessness. Just when she thought nothing crazier could happen, an old man walking past the table broke out into his own heart song. This time, the man seemed to direct his song to Max.

_She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah_

_She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah_

_She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah_

“She does not!” Zoey exclaimed, suddenly realizing that the moment had ended. Max just stared at her completely dumbfounded.

“She? She who? What are you talking about?”

“She … is me.” Zoey said thinking quick on her feet. “I’ve been playing around with my pronouns, just making sure which one suits me. She feels right. And she… meaning me… doesn’t taste that spice anymore.” She quickly shoveled the rest of what was on her plate in her mouth, having to do something else besides talk.

“Okay. Maybe something got dropped in your plate by accident. I’d say do you want to send it back … but apparently there’s nothing left to send.”

Zoey was relieved that Max seemed amused by her antics. What she wasn’t too happy about was the fact that the entire restaurant seemed to be assaulting her with songs. Zoey rolled her eyes when she heard another one start to play, this had to be a record of some kind. She turned around to see a teenager making eyes at Max, before turning her attention to Zoey which changed her mood entirely.

_That kind of girl would let you down_

_That kind of girl will always run around._

_That kind of girl's the kind that_

_You always fall for, my friend_

_Your love is really a dull bore._

“Why that little…”

“Do you want more wine?” Max asked as he picked up the bottle on their table.

“Yeah. Fill her up.” Zoey said. Max poured her glass to half full before Zoey tilted it while it was still in his hand bringing the wine almost to the rim. Zoey downed half of it in under a minute, causing Max to give her another look.

“It’s a good thing we have four more courses coming. You’re gonna need it. I know what’s bugging you by the way, don’t think I don’t know.” Max said, making Zoey put her wine glass down.

“You do?” She said, fearing the worst. This was it. Max was going to say something now that would change them forever.

“Yeah, you’re all freaked out because it’s your first big project as manager. Don’t worry Zo, we will have everything done before the launch party. Have a little faith in your team, and yourself.” Max said pouring whatever little was left in the bottle in his own glass.

At his words, Zoey let out the breath she didn’t even realize she was holding. Leave it to Max to make her feel better with just a few simple words. He just _got_ her that way, and he had ever since they met at orientation. Zoey thought back to all the times Max was the one to bring her back from the brink of a freak-out, which was more than she could count in the span of five years. He was also the one who held her when she cried after every breakup, the one who was happy to melt milk duds on the popcorn for movie night even though he thought it was disgusting, and the one who always walked between her and the creepy guy who hung out at the bar a block away from the Golden Gate Grind. The way he was looking at her now, not a hint of hesitation in his eyes, made Zoey’s stomach drop again but only because she realized one simple truth: she might have feelings for Max too. Sure, they were buried under the guise of friendship and a truckload of denial, but they were there. Zoey blamed all the wine for loosening her resolve. She suddenly felt the need to look away, like in high school when your crush would catch your gaze from across the room. Zoey figured she had two choices; she could either let the awkwardness take over, or she could enjoy the rest of her ‘not a date’ date with her best friend. She must have had more wine than she thought because she leaned towards option two.

For the rest of the night Zoey let her newly realized feelings shine through. Her laughs were a little louder, her gaze a little longer … and Max remained as clueless as ever. Or if he wasn’t, then his feelings were buried in a denial even deeper than her own. The wine had worn off by the time they finished eating, but that didn’t stop Zoey from leaning on Max’s arm as they exited the restaurant. She got distracted from secretly enjoying how his muscles felt even through two layers of clothing, when he started whistling a very familiar tune.

“That’s ‘Sucker’.” She stated matter-of-factly.

“Yeah, you know it?” Max questioned.

“It’s one of my favorites.”


End file.
